The figure of the most famous vampire in the world for several centuries has overgrown with a layer of various myths, truthful and not, and our task today is to understand the mysterious appearance of the sinister prince. He is associated with a national hero who fought for justice, a cruel and bloody ruler who did not know mercy, and a well-known image from books and films draws in the imagination of the legendary bloodsucker seized by passions. For many who followed the popular film adaptations, the blood ran cold from the atmosphere conveying horror, and the vampire theme, shrouded in a veil of mystery and romance, is becoming one of the main ones in cinema and literature.
Birth of a tyrant and murderer
So, the story of Vlad Dracula began at the end of 1431 in Transylvania, when a son was born to the heroic commander Basarab the Great, who famously fought against the Turks. I must say that this was far from the most beautiful baby, and it is with his repulsive appearance that some historians associate the pathological manifestation of cruelty. A boy with incredible physical strength with a protruding lower lip and coldbulging eyes revealed unique properties: it was believed that he saw through people.
The young Count Dracula, whose biography was full of such terrible stories, after which he even lost his mind, was considered an unbalanced person with many strange ideas. From childhood, his father taught little Vlad to wield weapons, and his fame as a cavalryman literally thundered throughout the country. He was an excellent swimmer, because in those days there were no bridges, and therefore he constantly had to swim across the water.
Order of the Dragon
Vlad II Dracul, who belonged to the elite knightly order of the Dragon with strict military and monastic orders, wore a medallion on his chest, like all his other members, in the form of a sign of his belonging to society. But he decided not to stop there. With his filing, images of a mythical fire-breathing animal appear on the walls of all churches and on coins that circulated in the country. The nickname Dracul, who converts the infidels to Catholicism, the prince received in the order. It means "devil" in Romanian.
Compromise solutions
The ruler of Wallachia - a small state located between the Ottoman Empire and Transylvania - was always ready for attacks from the Turks, but tried to compromise with the Sultan. So, in order to maintain the state status of his country, Vlad's father paid a huge tribute in timber and silver. At the same time, everyone had responsibilities.princes - to send sons as hostages to the Turks, and if uprisings broke out against the dominance of the conquerors, then inevitable death awaited the children. It is known that Vlad II Dracul sent two sons to the Sultan, where for more than 4 years they were held in voluntary captivity, which means a pledge of a fragile peace so necessary for a small state.
They say that the fact of being away from his family for a long time and the terrible executions that the future tyrant witnessed left a special emotional imprint on him, which reflected on his already shattered psyche. Living at the Sultan's court, the boy saw a manifestation of cruelty towards everyone who is obstinate and opposed to the authorities.
It is in captivity that Vlad III Tepes learns about the murder of his father and older brother, after which he receives freedom and the throne, but after several months he flees to Moldova, fearing for his life.
Cruelty from childhood
Historical chronicles know an incident when a rebellion was raised in one principality, and in retaliation for this, the offspring of the ruler, who were held hostage, were blinded. For theft of products, the Turks ripped open their stomachs, and for the slightest offense they put them on a stake. Young Vlad, who was repeatedly forced to renounce Christianity under the threat of reprisal, watched such terrible spectacles for 4 years. It is possible that the daily rivers of blood affected the young man's unstable psyche. It is believed that life in captivity became the very impetus that contributed to the appearance of bestial cruelty to all disobedient.
Vlad's nicknames
Born into the dynasty after which it was later namedBessarabia (ancient Romania), Vlad Tepes is mentioned in documents as Basarab.
But where he came from the nickname Dracula - opinions differ. There are 2 versions that explain where the son of the sovereign got this name from. The first says that the young heir had the same name as his father, but he began to add the letter “a” to the inherited nickname at the end.
The second version says that the word "dracul" is translated not only as "dragon", but also as "devil". And this is how Vlad, known for his incredible cruelty, was called by his enemies and intimidated locals. Over time, the letter “a” was added to the nickname Dracul for ease of pronunciation at the end of the word. A few decades after his death, the ruthless killer Vlad III receives another nickname - Tepes, which was translated from Romanian as "skewer" (Vlad Tepes).
Reign of the merciless Tepes
1456 is the beginning of not only the short reign of Dracula in Wallachia, but also very difficult times for the country as a whole. Vlad, who was especially ruthless, was cruel to his enemies and punished his subjects for any disobedience. All the guilty died a terrible death - they were impaled on a stake that differed in length and size: low murder weapons were chosen for commoners, and the executed boyars were visible from afar.
As ancient legends say, the prince of Wallachia had a special love for the groans of the agonizing and even arranged feasts in places where the unfortunate suffered from incredible torment. And the ruler's appetite only increased from the smell of decayingthe bodies and cries of the dying.
He was never a vampire and never drank the blood of his victims, but the fact that he was an obvious sadist, with pleasure watching the suffering of those who did not obey his rules, is known for certain. Often the executions were political in nature, with the slightest disrespect followed by retaliatory measures, leading to death. For example, the Gentiles who did not take off their turbans and arrived at the prince's court were killed in a very unusual way - by driving nails into their heads.
The Lord, who did a lot to unite the country
Although, as some historians say, the deaths of only 10 boyars were documented, as a result of the conspiracy of which Dracula's father and his older brother were killed. But legends call a huge number of his victims - about 100 thousand.
If the legendary ruler is viewed from the point of view of a statesman whose good intentions to liberate his native country from the Turkish invaders were fully supported, then we can confidently say that he acted in accordance with the principles of honor and national duty. Refusing to pay the traditional tribute, Vlad III Basarab creates a militia from among the peasants, which forces the Turkish soldiers who have arrived to deal with the disobedient ruler and his country to retreat. And all the prisoners were executed during the city holiday.
Furious religious fanatic
Being an extremely religious man, Tepes fanatically helped the monasteries, giving them land as a gift. Having gained reliable support in the person of the clergy, the bloody ruler acted veryfar-sighted: the people were silent and obeyed, because in fact all their deeds were consecrated by the church. It is hard to even imagine how many prayers for lost souls were offered up to the Lord every day, but sorrow did not result in a fierce struggle against the bloody tyrant.
And what is surprising - his great piety was combined with incredible ferocity. Wanting to build a fortress for himself, the cruel executioner gathered all the pilgrims who came to celebrate the great Easter holiday, and forced them to work for several years until their clothes decayed.
The policy of cleansing the country of anti-social elements
In a short time, he eradicates crime, and historical chronicles tell that gold coins left on the street continued to remain in the very place where they were thrown. Not a single beggar or vagabond, of whom there were very many in those troubled times, dared even touch we alth.
Consistent in all his undertakings, the ruler of Wallachia begins to implement his plan to cleanse the country of all thieves. Such a policy, as a result of which everyone who dared to steal was awaited by a speedy trial and a painful death, bore fruit. After thousands of deaths, there were no people willing to take someone else's property at the stake or block, and the unprecedented honesty of the population in the middle of the 15th century became a phenomenon that has no analogues in the entire history of the world.
Order in the country through brutal methods
Mass executions, which have already become commonplace, are the surest way to gain fame and remain in the memory of posterity. It is known that Vlad III Tepes did not likegypsies, well-known horse thieves and idlers, and it is still in the camps that he is called a mass murderer who exterminated a huge number of nomadic people.
It should be noted that everyone who incurred the wrath of the ruler died a terrible death, regardless of their position in society or nationality. When Tepes learned that some merchants, despite the strictest ban, had established trade relations with the Turks, as a warning to everyone else, he impaled them on a huge market square. After that, there were no people who wanted to improve their financial situation at the expense of the enemies of the Christian faith.
War with Transylvania
But not only the Turkish Sultan was dissatisfied with the ambitious ruler, the power of Dracula, who does not suffer defeat, began to threaten the merchants of Transylvania. The rich did not want to see such an unbridled and unpredictable prince on the throne. They wanted to put their favorite on the throne - the Hungarian king, who would not provoke the Turks, exposing all neighboring lands to danger. No one needed the prolonged massacre of Wallachia with the troops of the Sultan, and Transylvania did not want to enter into an unnecessary duel, which would have been inevitable in the event of hostilities.
Vlad Dracula, having learned about the plans of a neighboring country, and even trading with the Turks, which is prohibited on its territory, became extremely angry and de alt an unexpected blow. The army of the bloody ruler burned the Transylvanian lands, and the local residents who had public weight were impaled.
Tepes' 12-year imprisonment
This story ended in tears for theTirana. Outraged by the cruelty, the surviving merchants turned to the last resort - an appeal to overthrow Tepes with the help of the printed word. Anonymous authors wrote a pamphlet describing the ruthlessness of the ruler, and added a little of themselves about the plans of the bloody conqueror.
Count Vlad Dracula, who does not expect a new attack, is taken by surprise by Turkish troops in the very castle that the unfortunate pilgrims built for him. By chance, he flees from the fortress, leaving his young wife and all his subjects to certain death. Outraged by the atrocities of the ruler, the European elite was just waiting for this moment, and the fugitive is taken into custody by the Hungarian king, who claims to his throne.
The death of the bloody prince
Tepes spends a long 12 years in prison and even becomes a Catholic for his political reasons. Taking the forced obedience of the tyrant for obedience, the king frees him and even tries to help him ascend to his former throne. 20 years after the start of his reign, Vlad returns to Wallachia, where angry residents are already waiting for him. The Hungarian army accompanying the prince was defeated, and the king, who is not going to fight with his neighbors, decides to extradite the tyrant to the state that suffered from his atrocities. Upon learning of this decision, Dracula runs again, hoping for a lucky break.
However, fortune turned away from him completely, and the tyrant accepts death in battle, only the circumstances of his death are not known. The boyars, in a fit of anger, chopped the body of the hated ruler into pieces, and sent his head to the Turkish sultan. Good-meaning monkswho supported the bloody tyrant in everything, quietly bury his remains.
When, several centuries later, archaeologists became interested in the figure of Dracula, they decided to open his grave. To everyone's horror, it turned out to be empty, with traces of debris. But nearby they find a strange burial of bones with a missing skull, which is considered to be the last refuge of Tepes. To prevent the pilgrimage of modern tourists, the authorities moved the bones to one of the islands guarded by monks.
The birth of the legend of a vampire seeking new victims
After the death of the Wallachian sovereign, a legend was born about a vampire who did not find shelter in either heaven or hell. Locals believe that the spirit of the prince has taken on a new, no less terrible appearance and now prowls at night in search of human blood.
In 1897, Bram Stoker's mystical novel saw the light of day, describing the risen from the dead Dracula, after which the bloodthirsty ruler began to be associated precisely with a vampire. The writer used Vlad's real letters, preserved in the chronicles, but a large amount of material was nevertheless invented. Bram Stoker's Dracula appears no less merciless than its prototype, but aristocratic mannerisms and a certain nobility make the gothic character a real hero, whose popularity is only growing.
The book is seen as a symbiosis of science fiction and horror novel, in which ancient mystical forces and modern realities are closely intertwined. According to the researchers, the memorable appearance of the conductor Franz Liszt served as inspiration for creating the image of the protagonist, and manythe details were borrowed from Mephistopheles. Stoker clearly indicates that Count Dracula receives his magical power from the devil himself. Vlad the Impaler, turned into a monster, does not die and rise from the coffin, as described in early vampire novels. The author makes his character a unique hero, crawling along vertical walls and turning into a bat, which always symbolizes evil spirits. Later, this little animal would be called a vampire, although it does not drink any blood.
Credibility effect
The writer, who carefully studied Romanian folklore and historical evidence, creates a unique material in which there is no author's narration. The book is only a documentary chronicle, consisting of diaries, transcripts of the main characters, which only enhances the depth of the story. With a touch of authentic reality, Bram Stoker's Dracula soon becomes the unofficial vampire bible, detailing the rules of an alien world. And carefully traced images of the characters appear alive and emotional. The book is considered to be groundbreaking art in its original format.
Screenings
Soon the book will be filmed, and the writer's friend becomes the first actor to play Dracula. His Vlad the Impaler is a vampire with noble manners and an attractive appearance, although Stoker described an unpleasant old man. Since then, the romantic image of a handsome young man has been exploited, against which the heroes unite in a single impulse to save the world from universal evil.
In 1992, director Coppola filmed the book, inviting famous actors to the main roles, and G. Oldman played Dracula himself superbly. Before filming began, the director forced everyone to read Stoker's book for 2 days to maximize immersion in the characters. Coppola used various techniques to make the film, like the book, as realistic as possible. He even filmed footage of the appearance of Dracula on a black-and-white camera, which looked very authentic and frightening. Critics felt that the vampire played by Oldman was as close as possible to Vlad the Impaler, even his makeup resembled a real prototype.
Dracula's Castle is for sale
A year ago, the public was shocked by the news that Romania's most popular tourist attraction was up for sale. The gloomy fortress of Bran, in which Tepes allegedly spent the night during his military campaigns, is being sold by its new owner for fabulous money. Dracula's castle was once wanted by the local authorities, and now the world-famous place, which brings fabulous profits, is waiting for a new owner.
According to researchers, Dracula never stopped at this fortress, which is considered a cult place for all fans of vampire works, although the locals will vied with each other to tell chilling legends about the life of the legendary ruler in this fortress.
Described in the smallest detail by Stoker, the castle only became the setting for a horror novel that has nothing to do with ancient Romanian history. The current owner of the castle refers to his advanced age,which prevents him from doing business. He believes that all costs will pay off in full, because the castle is visited by about 500 thousand tourists.
A real bonanza
Modern Romania makes full use of the image of Dracula, attracting numerous tourist flows. Here they will talk about the ancient castles in which Vlad III Tepes committed bloody atrocities, even despite the fact that they were built much later than his death. A highly lucrative business based on a relentless interest in the enigmatic figure of the ruler of Wallachia, provides an influx of members of the sects, for which Dracula is the spiritual leader. Thousands of his fans make pilgrimages to the places where he was born to breathe the same air.
Few people know the true story of Tepes, taking on faith the image of a vampire created by Stoker and numerous directors. But the history of the bloody ruler, who does not disdain anything to achieve his goal, begins to be forgotten over time. And with the name Dracula, only a bloodthirsty ghoul comes to mind, which is very sad, because the fantastic image has nothing to do with a real tragic person and those terrible crimes that Tepes committed.
